May 12, 2004

You Might Not Be An American If...

For the ten-thousandth time - yes. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, dissent can be patriotic. Dissent away.

Yes. Oh, yes, yes, We were a nation born from dissent. We started in an armed, violent revolution - the dissentiest dissent there is, yepper, sho nuff.

Dissent is American. Got it.

But there comes a time - and the point moves back and forth depending on the issue - when dissent becomes no longer patriotic. And then seditious. And then treason.

Let's put our stake in the ground, shall we?

With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy:

If You Believe: that America has problems - huge problems - then dissent is American.But If You Believe: ...that America's problems make it an inherently rotten concept, then maybe you should think about whether you're living in the right place.

If You Believe: ...that America's projection of power around the world is immoral - then dissent is American.But If You Believe: ...that any projection of American power is inherely unjust because it's America, then maybe you should be living in, say, Sweden? Just an idea.

If You Believe: ...that capitalism is wrong because its inequalities are inherely unjust, then dissent is American.But If You Believe: ...that the free market is inherently, irrevocably evil, perhaps China would be a better fit? Just suggesting...

If You Believe: ...that invading Iraq was wrong, then dissent is American.But If You Believe: ...that our temporary administration of Iraq is worse than Hussein's 30 year reighn of horrors, then perhaps you should rot in hell we need to have an attitude adjustment.

If you belive...That the Viet Nam was unjustified, then dissent is American.
But if you believe...That telling lies under oath to the United States Congress that slanders the soldiers of the United States Military in order to further your political ambitions IS justified, you should be indicted (at the very least).

Just a note from Shanghai: China's not really the best place for an anti-capitalist. Sure, the government is commie as hell, but the people are largely entrepreneurial. And events are flowing toward capitalism, not away from it.

Oh, and:

If You Believe:... that Bush has made mistakes, and even done outright harm by some of his decisions, then dissent is American.

But If You Believe:... that Bushitler! NaziNaziNazi! Halliburton! Cheney! Neo-Con Zionist Nazi Pigs!, then please move to France.

If you believe that America today is like the Weimar Republic, then your dissent is American, and you're probably right.

If you believe that America today or at any time is or ever was like the Third Reich, then you need to read some history.

If you believe that "it can't happen here", then you, too, need to read some history.

If you believe that slavery was a blight on our country's history, then your dissent is very American, for Abraham Lincoln believed the same thing.

If you believe that America, out of all nations and civilizations in the history of the human race, is uniquely guilty of slavery, then, again, you need to read some history.

If you believe that America, out of all nations and civilizations in the history of the human race, is uniquely guilty of racism, or of anti-Semitism, or of sexism, or of persecution of homosexuals, or of..., then, again, you need to read some history.

If you're just as eager to take credit for the approximately 1 million Vietnamese and 2 million Cambodians who died because the US was forced to surrender SE Asia to Communist dictatorships, as you are to take credit for "ending the immoral war", then you're at least honest.